Springfield man convicted of federal sex crimes against children

A Springfield man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor after pleading guilty to several federal charges in December.

Evan Taylor, 28, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless.

The government has determined that between 2018 and 2020, Taylor abused multiple children between the ages of 7 and 15 by both producing child pornography and distributing the images he had produced himself via various online chat platforms.

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Taylor sexually abused a child in his care, drove across state lines to have sex with a minor, and attempted to lure another minor victim. Taylor bragged about his sexual abuse online and demanded sex with one of the minors, even after the minor became physically ill.

The government noted that the creation and distribution of the abuse images further traumatized victims, as they could not know for sure whether the images remained online or were in the possession of others.

Lawless noted the outrageousness and ongoing nature of Taylor’s behavior, explaining that he had taken away the safety and innocence of the children he had bullied. Lawless said the punishment was necessary to ensure the safety of the public and to provide a just punishment.

A federal grand jury returned the 15-count indictment in December 2020, and Taylor was arrested later that month. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest.

Taylor pleaded guilty to all 15 charges in December 2023.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Field Office investigated the case.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; [email protected]; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.